Yesterday's Journey: A Pokémon Lo-Fi Hip Hop Arrangement Album / Emdasche

Описание: PWYW download on bandcamp with a minimum of zero: https://emdasche.bandcamp.com/album/y...

Yesterday's Journey is a collection of moody, reflective Pokémon lo-fi hip hop arrangements that explore music from the first five generations through the lens of Mirai, a failed pokémon trainer in her adult years.

Mirai, 27, scrapes by in downtown Virbank with her only friend, Mincemeat the Mincinno. Her starry-eyed dreams of becoming a Champion are long behind her now, lost to the wind like cigarette smoke . . .

The beautiful album art is by the amazing @akyzura, also on twitter at   / akyzura  

Blurbs about each track:

Verdanturf Town:

"in those hazy moments when sleep is loosening its iron-grip,
memories of a place I don't know. a comfortable place that probably never existed.
the only thing keeping me here, and not there
is the tickle of your soft fur under my chin"

It's surprising to me this one is opening the album since I nearly scrapped it, but I think it sets the tone for Mirai's mental-state. Listless and lonely, regretful but not hopeless.

Pallet Town:

"'another piss-raining day in the 'Bank,
and i still can't find that goddamned umbrella.'
you perch on my lap like you always do, while I remember how shoes are meant to be tied.
'haah . . .
it's gonna be a long walk to work . . .'"

I'm actually not the biggest fan of Kanto's music, so I'm grateful that I could come up with something decent for Pallet Town. The mix drove me absolutely bananas, though.

Burned Tower:

"socks damp, hair ruined
keeping myself occupied
looping the same stupid bullshit
around and around up there like a broken record,
far away in some other world, my body moving on its own in this one
when some jerk says something i don't like
and i snap."

Challenged myself to make something entirely out of pre-recorded samples with this one (minus the melodies). Super breezy production, so it ended up as one of my faves :)

Lavender Town:

"it was a long day of drudgery and effective immediate dismissal,
but you greet me sweetly by the door, so I give you one million kisses.
we curl up by the television screen
waiting for the static to lull us to sleep."

Obviously, I had to do Lavender Town for a Lo-Fi Pokemon album. Silent Hill music was the main inspiration for the general staticy mood and ethereal pads heard throughout.

Mt. Pyre:

"a nightmare.
every person i've ever slighted, every mistake i've ever made
every step i never took.
where are you?"

I promised myself I wouldn't touch Mt. Pyre again so soon after Look Back, but . . . it's an epic melody. :P

Lacunosa Town:

"jolting awake in a cold sweat,
'shit. shit! late for work.'
no . . . no more work.
. . .
i turn to you.
'two train tickets and we don't look back. whaddaya say, buddy?'
you open one eye and mumble something cute.
'i'll take it.'"

Another favourite. Train sounds make me happy. :)

Cianwood City:

"it's the end of the line,
but the kriketune are greeting us with a great chorus,
so let's go for a midnight walk and stretch our legs.
even if it's a delusion
we'll dance forever into the dark, you and me"

This is the first track I made for Yesterday's Journey to get back into a Lo-fi mindset after such a long time. I'm proud of how the melodies fit together like a puzzle-piece.

Pokemon League (D/P/Pt):

"a new city greets us with new lights and new faces
the young trainers bustle, that nostalgic gleam behind their eyes
practically shouting, 'i can do anything!'.
from the curb, we watch a triple battle unfold, transfixed.
did i catch your eyes gleaming, too?"

I think of this one as a spiritual successor to my older Eterna City lo-fi mix. Same lead instruments, similar emotional vibe, use of urban sound effects . . . it came out to be a favourite on the album.

Undella Town:

"we mozy our way down to the pier,
and the sea breeze, sharp like a knife
spills my sins into the waves below
opening me up to all the boundless possibilities out there
if only i can be brave enough to accept them.
lost in thought,
you jump onto my shoulder, reminding me at least
that I don't have to do it alone."

Got experimental with this one! Porter Robinson's Year of the Cup latched itself into my brain and wouldn't let go lol so here we are. Somehow, I don't hate it. Yippee!

Introduction (Professor Rowan):

"the sun peaks itself over the horizon,
rising the morning wingull,
ending our endless night--
but we don't mind.
it's asking us if we're ready to try again,
and we already have our answer."

This was written initially as the introduction to the album, but it ended up way too triumphant. Now I see it as Mirai's resolve to continue living her life.

timestamps:
verdanturf 0:00 - 2:18
pallet 2:19 - 4:14
burned tower 4:15 - 6:51
lavender 6:52 - 9:27
mt. pyre 9:28 - 12:04
lacunosa 12:05 - 15:09
cianwood 15:10 - 17:37
league 17:38 - 20:53
undella 20:54 - 23:40
rowan 23:41 - 25:35

#pokemonlofi #pokemonremix